Skip to main content

Is There Such A Thing As A Free Lunch?

It was with some initial hesitancy that I agreed to meet up with a journalist last Tuesday (22nd May). My hesitancy stemmed from the media's all too often negative views/stance on foraging & wild foods. That said, there are many quality articles (on foraging) and journalists out there who take their role more seriously than those that tend to, on a daily basis, generally espouse misinformation, fear and sensationalism to the masses (poss.  ibly for fear of not making it in the industry). Quality journalists are usually and especially from more independent and exploratory media agencies. Fortunately for me, both the journalist, Ethan Shone and the Leeds based magazine he writes for, The Overtake, are independent and actively exploring the world of 'whatever' while reporting back in a fair, open-minded and positive style. Here is a link to the online publication that followed our meeting and wild woodland cook-up:https://theovertake.com/~british-food-week/free-lunch/ 
If you do read the entire article you'll notice that 'Foraging & Wild Food' came out as the favourite way to get a free lunch, pipping it to the top spot over; mobile apps, freeganism and (believe it or not), friends. I also didn't do anything out of the ordinary in order to convince Ethan, I just did what I generally do with plants, make something tasty from them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japanese Quince Jelly, Syrup and Sweets

Japanese Quince is one of my autumn favourites and one I make a beeline for every year. You can read more about these delightfully scented,  mouth-puckering and fabulously versatile little fruits here:  https://edible-leeds.blogspot.com/2017/11/quince-quince-glorious-quince.html   Japanese Quince Jelly   This beautifully sharp, sweet and dreamily aromatic jelly is one of the creations that go into my JQ Knickerbocker Glory, it also works well spread on to warm toast or served alongside game meats, particularly wildfowl and is great added to sauces to provide an edge of acidity, sweetness and aromatic attitude. There are many other applications for this jelly, so get busy gathering, creating and playing... 1kg Japanese Quince 750g Golden Granulated Sugar Water Wash the fruits to remove any dirt and then place them whole in a large pan. Add water to cover, (approximately 800ml) and bring to the boil, once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until all the fruits split. Po...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chicken of the Woods

Wild mushrooms have a special place in my heart. My wild food and foraging journey stemmed from an interest in them before branching out into plants and seaweeds. The 'silent hunt', as Antonio Carluccio so beautifully and aptly put it, is one of my favourite things. To find yourself at ease, wandering and treading gently, on the fringes of or deep within and beneath, the multi-layered, multi-coloured patchwork of woodland canopies, or in ancient meadows, in anticipation of the sometimes elusive, yet always magical and mysterious organisms that comprise the 5th kingdom is a pure delight. Fungi are truly fascinating, yet the great majority of the uk population have yet to discover just how awesome, intriguing, fascinating and tasty they can be. Most people think the best time of year for finding wild mushrooms is in the 'autumn' and, although there is some truth in this, it's not the whole truth. Spring, summer and winter can prove very fruitful (fung-ful) when it ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Japanese Knotweed: The Terribly Terrific Tasty Terrestrial Triffid

It really is one of those 'love, hate' relationships, depending on which side of the proverbial fence you find yourself. Personally, I love Japanese Knotweed. I love it's potential as a diverse food & drink resource, I'll delve deeper into that arena later. I also find it to be a striking and handsome plant. I've read some very interesting academic, scientific and medicinal literature, both mainstream and non, which raised many a question regarding Japanese Knotweed; how it's perceived professionally, and thus culturally, and how this determines and affects it's subsequent treatment by humans. I heartily recommend the book 'The New Wild' by Fred Pearce - a book all nature lovers, conservationists and environmentalists should consider reading. Like so many, I too was led to believe that Japanese Knotweed aka Fallopia japonica was a botanical nightmare, especially with regards to its reportedly negative impacts on our beautiful countrys...
Post a Comment
Read more